Michele Martinez

The budget pressures are prompting warnings from the city manager that services may have to be cut back, despite growth in tax revenues. The funding gap is projected to grow to $40 million in five years.

Santa Ana is facing a possible three-way race for mayor in November, has wide-open contests for three of its City Council seats, and the largest fundraising to date has been by the city’s police union, according to the latest campaign reports.

The city is also charging residents millions of dollars in fees on trash bills and transferring it to the city general fund, which pays for police and other services. Councilwoman Michele Martinez said that violates state law.

The city is facing a projected $600,000 budget shortfall, without taking into account the new pay raises. City Council members didn’t say how they planned to pay for the additional cost, but previously talked about a sales tax increase.

“This is probably the most political and divisive city council Santa Ana has had,” Councilwoman Michele Martinez said as the council debated the appointment. “Let’s be honest with each other. We really don’t like one another, and we really don’t trust one another.”

The City Council directed staff to study actions to assist cooperatives – such as reducing business license fees and allowing them to apply for small business grants – and bring back recommendations to the council within 90 days.

Judge David O Carter this week demonstrated real leadership on combating homelessness by getting out into the field and challenging county officials to focus public resources on meeting immediate needs of riverbed residents. Yet will this rare focus last? Could receivership of federal and state funds coming into the County of Orange be on the horizon?

Rashad Al-Dabbagh, who lives in Anaheim and is the founder/director of the Arab American Civic Council, criticizes a decision last week by the U.S. Census Bureau that the 2020 Census would not include a new “Middle Eastern or North African” category in its race and ethnicity data collection for the 2020 Census.

Orange County supervisors step up their attack on public comment at their regular public meetings by pushing taxpayers to the end of their meeting agenda. The change means offering public comment to county supervisors will take hours of waiting.